Canovee and Inniscarra into last four, as Mid Cork JAFC quarter-final pairings are finalised

BRENDAN KENNEALLY rounds up a busy weekend of football action in Mid Cork as the championship takes shape

THE Ross Oil Mid Cork Junior Football Championship is now at the business end. Aghinagh take on Grenagh in one quarter-final with the winner to meet Canovee. On the other side, Éire Óg face Kilmichael in another quarter-final with the winner to play Inniscarra in the last four.

Éire Óg 2- 13

Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh 1-11

ÉIRE ÓG finished top of Group 3 of the Ross Oil Mid Cork JFC after their hard-earned win at sunny Coachford.

The Ovens side are through to the quarter-finals with Aghinagh, both finishing on five points after drawing with each other and beating Béal Áthan Ghaorthaidh and Clondrohid.

Both sides started well and were tied at 0-3 each after ten minutes before the victors took control with five points on the trot. Fintan Brennan kicked his third point followed by scores from Fintan O’Leary, Daniel Healy, Colm Clifford and a second from David Kirwan.

Béal Átha broke the sequence with a pointed Seán Ó Muineacháin free in the 21st minute but then disaster struck as Dylan Foley intercepted a loose pass close to goal and was fouled for a penalty, which he converted.

A minute later, Adam McCarthy, Healy and Michael Murphy created the opening for Foley and he made no mistake from close range to leave it 2-8 to 0-4. Within a minute, Béal Átha got a goal back, a fine individual effort from Brian Ó Duinnín.

Down 2-9 to 1-4 at half-time, Béal Átha set about reducing the deficit on the resumption. Two early points from Liam Seartan were split by a third from Gavin Ó Laoire and Barra Ó Buachalla’s point on 37 left only four points between the sides.

Interval substitute Liam Sheehan steadied the Ovens men with two points but Liam Seartan fired over two in a row to make it 2-11 to 1-10 with ten left.

When Seán Ó Muineacháin pointed a Béal Átha free, only a goal separated the teams but points from Foley and Sheehan eased Éire Óg’s nerves.

Scorers

Éire Óg: Dylan Foley 2-2 (1-0 pen, 2f), Fintan Brennan (1f), Liam Sheehan (2f) 0-3 each, David Kirwan 0-2, Colm Clifford, Fintan O’Leary, Daniel Healy 0-1 each.

Béal Áthan Ghaorthaidh: B Ó Duinnín 1-0, L Seartan 0-5, S Ó Muineacháin 0-4 (0-3f), G Ó Laoire and B Ó Buachalla 0-1 each

Éire Óg: Éoin Kelleher; Cathal Mullins, Matt Brady, Kevin Cooper; Colm Clifford, Graham Moynihan; David Kirwan, Michael Murphy, Fintan O’Leary; Daniel Healy, Dylan Foley, Fintan Brennan. Subs: Liam Sheehan for Moynihan (half-time), Kevin Hallissey for O’Leary, Chulainn Malone for Cathal Mullins (both 42), David Casey for Healy (50), Keith Riordan for D Murphy (55).

Béal Áthan Ghaorthaidh: Barra Ó Suilleabháin; Peatsaí Ó Tuama, Barra Ó hArgáin, Enda Ó Luasa: Darren Ó Duinnín, Micheál Ó Tuama, Eoin Ó Laoire; Daire Ó Briain, Gearóid Ó Loinsigh; Matt Ó Riordáin, Seán Ó Muineacháin, Gavin Ó Laoire; Brian Ó Duinnín, Liam Seartan, Barra Ó Buachalla.

Sub: Ronan Ó Loinsigh for Darren Ó Duinnín (56).

Referee: Luke Knight (Kilmurry).

***

Aghinagh 1-14

Clondrohid 0-7

A COMFORTABLE win saw Aghinagh finish unbeaten in Group 3, just behind Éire Óg on scoring difference, while Clondrohid are out and may face a relegation play-off.

Clondrohid opened the scoring with a point from Darren Dineen but two points from Darragh McCarthy had Aghinagh in front and they led thereafter.

Clondrohid finished the half well with points from Fionnán and Ciarán O’Leary but Aghinagh struck a lethal blow in the 28th minute when Con Buckley got the only goal of the game and the winners led by 1-8 to 0-4 at half time.

Aghinagh remained in command for the second half with points from Liam Twohig (two) and Micheál Horgan. Cathal Creedon and Fionán O’Leary had a point apiece before TJ Buckley and Ciarán O’Leary exchanged scores and Declan Ambrose closed the scoring with an Aghinagh point.

Scorers

Aghinagh: Con Buckley 1-1, Liam Twohig 0-5 (3f), Dara McCarthy, Declan Ambrose 0-3 each, Micheál Horgan, TJ Buckley 0-1 each.

Clondrohid: Fionán O’Leary 0-3, Ciarán O’Leary 0-2, Cathal Creedon, Darren Dineen 0-1 each.

Aghinagh: Kevin Cotter; Donagh O’Riordan, Dave Barry, Eoghan McCarthy; TJ Buckley, Luke O’Leary, David Kelleher; Gearóid O’Sullivan, Michael O’Brien; Con Buckley, Liam Twohig, Aodh Twomey; Micheál Horgan, Declan Ambrose, Dara McCarthy.

Subs: William Coakley, Thomas Morgan, Euan Coughlan, Noah O’Leary, Tom Buckley.

Clondrohid: Seán O’Callaghan; Aaron O’Riordan, Brian Corcoran, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Conor Flanagan, John O’Connell, Cian Creedon; Seán Desmond, Ciarán O’Leary; Seán Murphy, George Lowrie; Fionán O’Leary; Cathal Creedon, Darren Dineen, Colin Murphy.

Subs: Denis O’Riordan, David O’Connell, Eoin Kelleher, Odhran O’Leary, Neilus Murphy.

***

Canovee 4-17

Kilmichael 0-6

AN AUTOMATIC semi-final spot was secured by Canovee, who ended Group 2 with a 100 percent record. They were too good for a depleted Kilmichael side who, despite defeat at Inchigeela, qualified for the quarter-finals in second place.

Championship favourites Canovee had Jack Kelleher back and the corner-forward scored 2-4, Brian McNabola and James Moynihan the other goal scorers.

The winners led by 2-4 to 0-2 at the end of the opening quarter and by half-time it was 2-10 to 0-4. The second half brought no improvement in Kilmichael fortunes, 3-12 to 0-4 at the three-quarter stage and the scores continued to come

Canovee scorers: J Kelleher 2-4, J Moynihan 1-2, B McNabola 1-0, D Cronin 0-3, A Murphy 0-2, D Ring 0-2, C Dodd, C O’Neill, E McNabola, E Lehane 0-1 each.

Canovee: Cormac O’Driscoll; Cian Cronin, Eoin McNabola, Darren Moynihan; Shane Riordan, Odhran O’Driscoll, Eoghan Lehane; Conor Dodd, Aidan Murphy; Daire McMahon, Dara Cronin, Conor O’Neill; James Moynihan, Brian McNabola, Jack Kelleher.

Subs: Denis O’Sullivan, Darragh Ring, Paul Healy.

Kilmichael: Ronan Murphy; Ger Murphy, Eoghan Murphy, Kevin Kelleher; Kieran Murphy, Kevin Murphy, Brendan Cotter; Cathal Foley, Chris O’Connell; Andrew Kelleher, Alan McCarthy, Danny Horgan; Tom Downey, David Horgan, Ronan Murphy.

Sub: Adam O’Leary.

Referee: John Ryan (Macroom).

***

Ballincollig 2-9

Dripsey 0-13

WITH neither side able to advance, this Group 2 game was about avoiding the relegation play-off and Ballincollig edged it, despite trailing for much of the game.

The defining moments came in the 41st and 43rd minutes when Callum Sheehan’s goal gave The Village the lead, 1-8 to 0-9, followed by Stephen O’Donoghue’s goal to open up a five-point gap. Dripsey did cut the margin back with four points shared evenly by Eoghan Maher and Stephen Murray but a late Olan Dorgan free helped Ballincollig to hang on.

Ballincollig: Chris Walsh; Matty O’Sullivan, Dylan Kirstein, Shane Buckley; Jack Hoey, Brian Dore, Podge Harrington; Callum Sheehan, Dylan Ebili; Eoghan Carew, Brian Moore, Luke Harris; Olan Dorgan, Stephen O’Donoghue, Ciarán Buckley.

Dripsey: Aaron O’Riordan; Dean O’Sullivan, John Buckley, Eoin O’Connell; Martin O’Sullivan, Mark O’Connell, Jamie Manley; Michael O’Riordan, Mark O’Sullivan; Killian Kelleher, Eoghan Maher, Sean Murray Martin; Colm O’Connell, Gary Murphy, Stephen Murray.

***

Grenagh 0-17

Donoughmore 1-6

GRENAGH moved to the quarter-finals with a comfortable win over Donoughmore.

The winners led by 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time but an Adam Dinan goal for Donoughmore cut the gap to a point. Ultan Duggan’s frees helped to ease Grenagh clear.

Grenagh scorers: Ultan Duggan 0-10 (6f), Paul Barry-Murphy, Dan Twomey 0-2 each, Alex Kiely, David Coleman, Ted Twomey 0-1 each.

Grenagh: Cathal Cronin; Niall Coleman, Alex Kiely, Kevin O’Neill; Tadhg Walsh, Séamus Coleman, Chris Buckley; Ted Twomey, John Lehane; David Coleman, Paul Barry-Murphy, Seán Joyce; Dan Twomey, Kelvin Cummins, Ultan Duggan.

Donoughmore: Kevin O’Riordan; David Looney, Alan Jones, Adam Geaney; Frankie Honohan, Donncadha Morrissey, Jack Crowley; Mark Lucey, Darragh O’Shea; Darragh Lawson, Colm O’Callaghan, Stephen Golden; Kevin O’Connell, Ger Buckley, Dylan Dannagher. Subs: Adam Dinan, Gavin O’Sullivan, Jack Honohan

***

Inniscarra 2-14

Blarney 0-6

DESPITE missing their hurlers, Inniscarra were too strong for Blarney as they reached the semi-finals.

Inniscarra led at half time by 1-8 to 0-1. Mark Linehan scored the two goals for Inniscarra, Liam O’Connor finished with 0-4 and Dylan O’Sullivan kicked 0-3.

Inniscarra: Dominic Kelleher; Danny O’Herlihy, John O’Callaghan, Declan Hyland; Frank Horgan, David Coughlan, Jack Hayes; Mark Linehan, Tim Murphy; Cameron Lynch, Liam O’Connor, Jack O’Dwyer; Mark McLoughlin, Dylan O’Sullivan, Liam Collins.

Subs: Tadgh Lyons, Shay Dineen, Dan O’Connell, Neil Vaughan, Douwe Van Sinnderen.